


Day 4 -- Prize

by Flamebird38



Series: 31 Days of Apex [4]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25076920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamebird38/pseuds/Flamebird38
Summary: Bangalore is the Champion for the first time. But the fame and fortune she was promised? It's not all it's cracked up to be.
Series: 31 Days of Apex [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1811551
Kudos: 4





	Day 4 -- Prize

“Whatcha lookin for?” Gibraltar whispers to me. We’re posted up on the south watchtower, trying to find our last opponent. It was only me, him, and a lone Lifeline left. The fourth circle is going to close soon, and I’m just praying Lifeline peeks so we can get this match over with already. 

“Just any sign of movement if I’m being honest. I want to get out of here already.” I can feel my hands start to get sweaty. My kraber is getting heavier and heavier every second I hold it. I have two bullets left, and I hope I can hit Lifeline with at least one of them. 

“Ya know,” Gibraltar starts. He seems to be such a nice guy and right now I would do just about anything for him, but sometimes I wish he would quit with the small talk. Save that for another time, Makoa. “I think you’re positioned to be champ.”

“Is that so?” I don’t take my eye away from the kraber sight. Then I see a little flash of pink hair. 

“Yeah. You’ve got three kills. That’s almost half the lobby!” He laughs, but thankfully it’s not his big belly laugh so our position isn’t given away. 

“Well, it’s also about how much damage is done.” My voice is calm as I try to line up my shot with the smallest sliver of Lifeline’s head peeking. I feel my finger slowly pull back on the trigger. Even though I’ve done this thousands of times, I’m more nervous than ever. Gibraltar is still talking. Bless him. I take the shot. The next words don’t come from me or Gibraltar but the announcer.

“Winner decided.” Those two simple words are ones I’ve never heard before. I haven’t been on a winning squad yet. Granted, the Apex Games haven’t been around long but it’s still something I have yet to achieve. Gibraltar, who has won before, lets out a shout as he picks me and pulls me into a spine crushing hug. I fight with him to let me go, but he only does when the medical ship comes down to collect us and Lifeline’s body.

As all three of us are loaded onto the ship, I’m crashing into a healing chair next to Gibraltar. All of this was so new to me. I’m so used to waking up in the respawn chamber that having several medics fix me up all at the same time was a little overwhelming. But little did I know it was about to get much worse.

“There she is! There is our Champion ” I hear someone screech. A woman in a poorly fitted pantsuit walks in from another bay of the medical ship. Her unnaturally red hair is down, her curls were wilted, and grays were colored in a shade that didn’t match. Her face, far from flawless, has the biggest toad smile I have ever seen in my life. I feel my face twist into one of disgust as she comes over and gives me an unsolicited hug. 

“And you are?” I ask as she finally lets go of me. 

“Ah! I’m the Champion PR rep!” Her cheerful voice sounds terribly fake and even more overused. “We’ve got a big night ahead of us! First, your carpet walk. Then, your big interview. Oh—”

“Let me stop you right there.” I hold up my hand as her smile disappears. “Just write me my check and we can call it a day.”

“But that’s not what your contract says, silly.” She somehow pulls out the document all of us legends are forced to sign before participating. Where she pulled it out from is beyond me, but I’m too tired to try and figure it out. “You have to do the interview. Now smile big for me.”

I look up and see a camera in my face. It flashes quickly several times. I can feel sheer confusion on my face. This was supposed to be the moment I got to add to my family freedom fund, not having cameras in front of my face. Unfortunately, that would be the first of many cameras for me.

Later on that night, I’m practically shoved onto a red carpet in some extremely uncomfortable suit the Syndicate had picked out for me. If I hated the lone camera before, then one can only imagine how I feel now that hundreds of them are craning to take a picture of me, Gibraltar, and Bloodhound who was our third squadmate. Fans are screaming, asking for selfies and autographs. 

Both Gibraltar and Bloodhound indulge, making people smile left and right. Me on the other hand? I don’t do autographs. Period. I push my team along trying to get them into the auditorium for the interview as soon as possible. I want to get it over with. 

When we finally get backstage, I mentally prepare myself once again. Every Champion did an interview for all of the Outlands to see. This was a part of the fame we were promised. If I could fast forward through this part, I wouldn’t hesitate. Even still, Gibraltar comes over and gives me an encouraging pat on the back.

“You got this,” He quietly says to me. “Fake it til ya make it.” He chuckles and winks at me as stage crew come and start pushing me towards the stage. Music blaring, people are cheering, lights are blinding. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to your Apex Champion, Bangalore!” My name sounds foul coming out of speakers like that, but I can’t back out now. I slowly start to walk out on the stage. I wave at the crowd, my smile faker than the PR lady’s.

This is the lousiest award I’ve ever seen for winning a blood sport. If this is what I have to go through every time I win, I might as well throw away every match. But let’s be honest about this. All this will ever be is the Syndicate dressing up the chokehold they have on all of us as something grand. We don’t get prizes from the Syndicate. We end up becoming theirs.


End file.
